Anadolu Efes Istanbul has moved quickly to reinforce its backcourt following Mike James’ Achilles injury, signing veteran guard Cameron Payne, the club announced Saturday.
Payne, 32, stands 1.91 meters and brings extensive NBA experience to Efes, as well as familiarity with the EuroLeague after spending part of last season with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.
James suffered the injury during Efes’ EuroLeague game against Crvena Zvezda on Thursday. He underwent Achilles tendon repair surgery on Friday and is expected to miss seven to nine months, leaving Efes without its leading scorer and primary creator.
James had averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds through three EuroLeague games this season, although his shooting numbers were below his usual level. Efes enters the signing at 1-2 in the standings after its first three games.
Payne made his EuroLeague debut with Partizan last season, appearing in 10 games and averaging 12.4 points, 3.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 23.4 minutes per game. He also played five ABA League games for the Serbian club, averaging 10.8 points and 3.8 assists.
The American guard then returned to the NBA, joining the Philadelphia 76ers for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. He appeared in 22 regular-season games, averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 37.6% from the field.
Payne has spent 11 seasons in the NBA, recording 499 regular-season appearances and averaging 7.7 points and 3.2 assists. He has also played 72 postseason games, including the Phoenix Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals.
His NBA career has included stops with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.
Payne was selected 14th overall by Oklahoma City in the 2015 NBA Draft after two seasons at Murray State. He was named the 2015 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and won the Lute Olson Award as the most outstanding men’s college basketball player.
Efes will now look to Payne to provide additional ball-handling and playmaking options alongside Matthew Strazel, Jordan Loyd and P.J. Dozier. Strazel is averaging 13.0 points and 2.7 assists through three EuroLeague games, while Loyd is contributing 10.3 points per game.
